Related Experiment Videos
Prevalence, type, disclosure, and severity of adverse life events in college students
Joshua M Smyth1, Jill R Hockemeyer, Kristin E Heron
1Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. jmsmyth@syr.edu
Objective:
Some information on the prevalence of adverse life experiences is available for the general population and college students, but the extent, nature, and severity of these events is unclear.
Participants:
The authors recruited undergraduate college students (N = 6,053) from diverse academic settings (public and private schools) and geographic locations.
Methods:
They examined the prevalence, nature, severity, and disclosure of adverse events, in addition to reports of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology within the sample.
Results:
Across multiple studies, prevalence rates of adverse events ranged from 55.8% to 84.5%, replicating previous findings in larger samples. In a subset of undergraduate students (n = 97) who the authors interviewed in greater depth, 9% reported symptoms of clinical PTSD and an additional 11% reported subclinical symptoms.
Conclusions:
Research using college samples for the study of stressful life events is a useful and reasonable strategy. The authors discuss implications for research, as well as screening and referral services at universities.
Related Concept Videos
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Surveys
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health condition at a...
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Cross-Sectional Research
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...